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Synthesis and Surface Chemistry of 2D TiVC Solid-Solution MXenes
Sanaz Yazdanparast1, Sina Soltanmohammad1, Annika Fash-White2
1Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|April 4, 2020
Summary
Two-dimensional titanium vanadium carbide (TiVC) MXenes were synthesized using different methods. The LiF/HCl method yielded TiVC MXenes with favorable surface chemistry, including higher oxygen and lower fluorine content, enhancing their potential for energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Two-dimensional (2D) MXenes are promising materials for energy storage devices like supercapacitors.
- The surface chemistry of MXenes significantly influences their performance and is highly dependent on synthesis conditions.
- Titanium vanadium carbide (TiVC) solid-solution MXenes offer tunable properties for advanced applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different synthesis methods on the surface functional groups of TiVC MXenes.
- To correlate synthesis conditions with the structural stability and adsorption properties of TiVC MXenes.
- To identify optimal surface chemistry for enhanced energy-storage performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of TiVC MXenes via etching of TiVAlC MAX phase using concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF) or a lithium fluoride (LiF)/hydrochloric acid (HCl) mixture.
- Delamination of TiVC MXene using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH) for single-flake suspension.
- Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Main Results:
- Two distinct synthesis routes for TiVC MXenes were established, yielding different surface functionalization.
- The LiF/HCl synthesis method resulted in TiVC MXenes with a larger interlayer spacing (2.18 nm) and a higher concentration of oxygen (═O) and lower concentration of fluorine (-F) groups.
- DFT calculations and XPS measurements confirmed that the LiF/HCl-derived TiVC MXenes possess more favorable surface chemistry for energy storage.
Conclusions:
- Synthesis conditions critically control the surface chemistry and properties of TiVC solid-solution MXenes.
- The LiF/HCl etching method provides a pathway to engineer TiVC MXenes with superior surface functionalization for energy storage applications.
- This study offers the first systematic analysis of synthesis effects on TiVC MXene surface chemistry.
